Park Lot 11

Chestnut Street & Surrey Place to University Avenue

Granted to William Dummer Powell, 4 September 1793. The York Report listed him as non-resident and recommended that Park Lot 11 be designated as a Glebe. The Reverend Thomas Raddish was granted the lot, 17 May 1797, and the patent was issued on July 18 of the same year.

Reverend Raddish sold Park Lot 11 to John Elmsley, 13 November 1798.

John Elmsley’s widow, Mary Elmsley sold the south half (50 acres) to Alexander Wood on 21 December 1822. She sold the north half to King’s College on 19 May 1929.

The south half was sold by Alexander Wood to John Beverly Robinson on 20 April 1825. Robinson sold 6 of the 50 acres to the Law Society of Upper Canada on 18 June 1828.

Above: This detail of the patent plan of York Township shows the narrow 100-acre Park Lots stretching between today's Queen Street and Bloor Street. A patent plan was an important working document in the surveyor's office showing the land ownership. Perhaps as early as 1796, this plan certainly dates from prior to 1834 when the Town of York changed to the City of Toronto. (Patent Plans, “York Township”, [178?]-[ca. 1978], Archives of Ontario, RG 1-100)